As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, "principal board of county commissioners", "principal county treasurer", and "principal county auditor" mean respectively those in the county of that part of the proposed intercounty weed district in which the greatest amount of acreage is located.

An intercounty weed district, including all or any part of two counties or more, may be created for the purposes set forth in RCW 17.04.010 by the joint action of the boards of county commissioners of the counties in which any portion of the proposed district is located.

Any one or more freeholders owning more than fifty percent of the acreage desired to be included within the proposed intercounty weed district may file a petition with the principal board of county commissioners praying that their land be included, either separately or with other lands included in the petition, in a weed district to be formed for the purpose of destroying, preventing or exterminating any one or all such weeds, or that such lands be included within a district already formed, or a new district or districts to be formed out of any district or districts then existing. Such petition shall state the boundaries of the proposed district, the approximate number of acres in the proposed district, the particular weed or weeds to be destroyed, prevented or exterminated, the general method or means to be used in such work, and shall contain a list of all known landowners within the proposed district, together with the addresses of such landowners. Upon the filing of such petition the principal board of county commissioners shall notify the other boards of commissioners, shall arrange a time for a joint hearing on the petition, and shall give at least thirty days' notice of the time and place of such hearing by posting copies of such notice in three conspicuous places within the proposed district, and at the main entrance to the courthouse of each county, and by mailing a copy of such notice to each of the landowners named in the petition at the address named therein. If any of the land described in the petition be owned by the state a copy thereof shall be mailed to the department of natural resources at Olympia.

At the time and place fixed for such hearing, with the chair of the principal board acting as chair, the respective boards shall determine by a majority vote of each of the boards of county commissioners of the counties whether such intercounty weed district shall be created, and if they determine that such district shall be created, the respective boards shall fix the boundaries of the portion of the proposed district within their respective counties, but they shall not modify the purposes of the petition with respect to the weed or weeds to be destroyed, prevented, and exterminated as set forth in the petition, and they shall not enlarge the boundary of the proposed district, or enlarge or change the boundary or boundaries of any district or districts already formed without first giving notice, as provided in RCW 17.06.030, to all landowners interested. If the respective bodies shall determine that the weed district petitioned for shall be created each such board shall thereupon enter an order establishing and defining the boundary lines of the proposed district within its respective county. A number shall be assigned to such weed district which shall be the lowest number not already taken or adopted by an intercounty weed district in the state, and thereafter such district shall be known as "weed district No. . . . .", inserting in the blank the number of the district.

If any county represented does not by a majority vote of its board of commissioners support the petition for an intercounty district, the petition shall be dismissed.

If the respective boards of county commissioners establish such district the chair of the principal board shall call a special meeting of landowners to be held within such district for the purpose of electing three directors for such district. No person shall be eligible to hold the office of director who is not a qualified elector of the state of Washington and a resident and landowner within such district. Such meeting shall be held not less than thirty nor more than ninety days from the date when such district is established.

Notice of such meeting shall be given by the principal county auditor by publication once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such district, and by posting such notice for not less than ten days before the date fixed for such meeting in three public places within the boundaries of such district. The notices shall state the object of the meeting and the time and place when the same shall be held.

At the time and place fixed for the meeting the chair shall appoint two persons to assist him or her in conducting the election, one of whom shall act as clerk. If such chair be not present the electors of such district then present shall elect a chair of the meeting.

Every person who is a landowner within such district and a qualified elector of the state of Washington shall be entitled to vote at such meeting. Any person offering to vote may be challenged by any legally qualified elector of such district, and the chair of such meeting shall thereupon administer to the person challenged an oath in substance as follows: "You do swear (or affirm) that you are a citizen of the United States and a qualified elector of the state of Washington and an owner of land within the boundaries of weed district No. . . . . (giving number of district)." If the challenged person shall take such oath or make such affirmation, he or she shall be entitled to vote; otherwise his or her vote shall not be received. Any person making a false oath, or affirmation, or any person illegally voting at such meeting, shall be punished as provided in the general election laws of the state for illegal voting.

The vote shall be by secret ballot, on white paper of uniform size and quality, of such arrangement that when names are written thereon, the same may be folded so as not to disclose the names. The elector shall write the names of three persons that he or she desires as the first directors of such district and shall fold his or her ballot and hand the same to the chair of the meeting who shall deposit it in a ballot box provided for that purpose. The clerk shall thereupon write the name of such person on a list as having voted at such election. After all persons present and entitled to vote have voted, the chair shall declare the election closed, and shall, with the assistance of the clerk and the other person appointed as assistant, proceed to count the ballots. The person receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected as director for a term ending three years from the first Monday in March following his or her election; the person receiving the second greatest number of votes shall be elected for a term ending two years from the first Monday in March following his or her election, and the person receiving the third greatest number of votes shall be elected for a term ending one year from the first day of March following his or her election.

Annually thereafter, there shall be held a meeting of the electors of such district on the first Monday in February. At such meeting one director shall be elected to succeed the director whose term will expire on the first Monday in March following. The directors shall call the annual meeting, and shall fix the time when and place where the same shall be held and shall give the same notice thereof as provided for the initial meeting. The annual meeting shall be conducted in the same manner as is provided for the initial meeting, and the qualifications of electors at such annual meeting shall be the same as is required for the initial meeting.

All directors shall hold office for the term for which they are elected, and until their successors are elected and qualified. In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of any director, the remaining members of the board of directors shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. The board of directors shall elect one of its members chair and may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the board, and who shall be paid such compensation as the board may determine. Each director shall furnish a bond in the sum of one thousand dollars, which may be a surety company bond or property bond approved by the principal board of county commissioners, which bond shall be filed with the same board and shall be conditioned for the faithful discharge of his or her duties. The cost of such bond shall be paid by the district the same as other expenses of the district.

At any annual meeting the method for destroying, preventing, and exterminating weeds of such district as set forth in the petition, and the rules and regulations adopted by such district, may be changed by a majority vote of the qualified electors present at such meeting, or a special meeting may be called for that purpose, notice of which meeting and of such proposed changes to be voted on, shall be given to all landowners residing within the district by mailing a copy of such notice and of such proposed changes to the address of such landowner at least one week before the date fixed for such special meeting.

Severability—1971 ex.s. c 292: See note following RCW 26.28.010.

The board of directors of an intercounty weed district shall have the same powers and duties as the board of directors of a weed district located entirely within one county, and all the provisions of chapter 17.04 RCW are hereby made applicable to intercounty weed districts: PROVIDED, That in the case of evaluation, assessment, collection, apportionment, and any other allied power or duty relating to taxes in connection with the district, the action shall be performed by the officer or board of the county for that area of the district which is located within his or her respective county, and all materials, information, and other data and all moneys collected shall be submitted to the proper officer of the county of that part of the district in which the greatest amount of acreage is located. Any power which may be or duty which shall be performed in connection therewith shall be performed by the officer or board receiving such as though only a district in a single county were concerned. All moneys collected from such area constituting a part of such district that should be paid to such district shall be delivered to the principal county treasurer who shall be ex officio treasurer of such district. All other materials, information, or data relating to the district shall be submitted to the district board of directors.

Any costs or expenses incurred under this section shall be borne proportionately by each county involved.

Whenever any action is required or may be performed by any county officer or board for all purposes essential to the maintenance, operation, and administration of the district, such action shall be performed by the respective officer or board of the county of that part of the district in which the greatest amount of acreage of the district is located.

All costs incurred shall be borne proportionately by each county in that ratio which the amount of acreage of the district located in that part of each county forming a part of the district bears to the total amount of acreage located in the whole district.